Anansi Festival Release
Friday, April 6, 2012
The Institute of Caribbean Studies and the blogging site socamom.com will host the inaugural Anancy! Anansi! Festival in Washington, DC on Saturday, June 9, 2012, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public and takes place at The Martin Luther King Jr. Branch of the DC Public Library, located at 901 G Street Northwest NW.
The Anancy! Anansi! Festival, named for Anansi, the West African trickster of folklore, is a celebration of Caribbean-American culture that's geared toward children and teens. The festival provides a unique way for youngsters to learn about their cultural heritage and experience a rich collection of stories, music and dance. You can pre-register for the event atwww.anansifestivaldc.eventbrite.com.
The festival is held annually in cities across the United States and Jamaica where it originated.
Xavier Murphy and Dr. Andrea Shaw are the driving forces behind the festival and its co-founders. Writer and publisher Kellie Magnus joined the team in 2011 to coordinate the first Anancy Festival in Jamaica.
Dr. Claire Nelson of the Institute of Caribbean Studies in Washington, DC and Eva Wilson ofSocamom.com are the coordinators of the DC Anancy! Anansi! Festival. It is being held as part of the nationwide celebration of June as Caribbean American Heritage Month.
"The Anancy! Anansi! Festival was added as an official celebration of National Caribbean America n Heritage Month in 2010 and the goal is to add more cities every year making this a truly national event," stated Dr. Nelson, Chair of the National Commemorative Committee for celebration of Caribbean American Heritage Month (CAHM).
"In Washington DC, this event will be the opening act of the CAHM AllSPICE Festival of the Arts and Humanities, now in its fourth year. We are encouraging Caribbean organizations across the country to join us ... it is not too late to set up your own Anancy! Anansi! Festival in your city. All you need is the right initiative and attitude and aptitude! We are here to guide you as to protocols to get this done."
"I am honored to be a part of the coordination of this festival in the DC area, "says Eva Wilson. "As a first generation Caribbean American with children, it is important for me and parents like me to keep my children connected to our culture."
The Festival promises a morning of song, dance, stories and fun. The event is geared toward youngsters, but adults won't want to miss the unique performances. The Anancy! Anansi! Festival offers an enjoyable way for people of all ages to experience the rhythm of the islands through dance, music and written word.
For more information about the Anancy Festival in Washington, DC , call the Institute of Caribbean Studies at 202-638-0460 or Socamom.com at 202-643-7622 or visithttp://www.anancyfestival.com, icsdc.org, or socamom.com. Contact us by email atsoca@socamom.com.
To learn about other events taking place during Caribbean American Heritage Month visitwww.caribbeanamericanmonth.org.
